Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Edward Clark (1811–1882) helped Isaac Singer found the Singer Sewing Machine company in 1851, eventually leading it to world-wide prominence in the 1870s.

Clark pioneered the use of franchise offices for sales and a network of independent distributors. His multilevel sales division created one of America's first models of multi-level management, helping to create a managerial revolution in business. At its height, the Singer company under Clark's management was shipping 20 to 25,000 machines to all parts of the world.

The sewing machine revolution not only made mass-production clothing possible, but it also enabled easy and cheap repair of clothes in the home. Every time we pull on a comfortable machine-sewn garment, we can thank Edward Clark, a true hero of capitalism.